Having handed themselves a comfortable first leg cushion from which to propel them towards the final four, Arsenal continue their Europa League exploits with a trip to Napoli at San Paolo Stadium.
Unai Emery's side put one foot into the semi-finals thanks to an effort from Aaron Ramsey and an own-goal from Kalidou Koulibaly in a 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium and will look to book their spot in the next round with their trip to Italy.
However, an underwhelming win against ten-man Watford at the weekend was less than convincing, meaning that the Spaniard will have to refocus his side ahead of their vital clash.
Carlo Ancelotti has meanwhile called upon his side to show "courage, intelligence and passion" as they look to spring a surprise comeback in their hunt for European success.
| Game | Napoli vs Arsenal |
| Date | Thursday, April 18 |
| Time | 8:00pm BST / 3:00pm EST |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game will be broadcast on Univision Deportes. It can be streamed via B/R Live.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Univision Deportes | B/R Live |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be broadcast on BT Sport 2 and BT Sport 4K UHD. It can be streamed via BT Sport Live.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| BT Sport 2 / BT Sport 4K UHD | BT Sport Live |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Napoli players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Meret, Ospina, Karnezis |
| Defenders | Koulibaly, Maksimovic, Chiriches, Luperto, Ghoulam, Mario Rui, Hysaj, Malcuit |
| Midfielders | Allan, Fabian Ruiz, Zielinski |
| Forwards | Insigne, Younes, Verdi, Callejon, Ounas, Milik, Mertens |
Carlo Ancelotti will have to deal with the absences of Amadou Diawara and Raul Albiol as he welcomes his visitors from the Premier League.
He could have opted to keep faith with the same side who were turned over at the Emirates Stadium last week given the quality in has in spades, but made three changes to his XI.
Confirmed Napoli starting XI : Meret; Maksimovic, Chiriches, Koulibaly, Ghoulam; Callejon, Fabian Ruiz, Allan, Zielinski; Insigne, Milik.
| Position | Arsenal squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Leno, Cech, Okonkwo |
| Defenders | Sokratis, Kolasinac, Mustafi, Monreal, Koscielny, Jenkinson |
| Midfielders | Guendouzi, Elneny, Mkhitaryan, Ramsey, Xhaka, Torreira, Maitland-Niles |
| Forwards | Aubameyang, Ozil, Lacazette, Nketiah, Iwobi |
Unai Emery has been able to name a strong party for the trip to Italy, but is without a key quartet of players who remain in London.
Denis Suarez, Hector Bellerin, Rob Holding and Danny Welbeck all remain at home as the Gunners jet out to the south of Europe.
Confirmed Arsenal starting XI: Cech; Monreal, Sokratis, Koscielny; Maitland-Niles, Torreira, Xhaka, Kolasinac, Ramsey; Lacazette, Aubameyang.
Betting & Match Odds
Napoli are the odds-on favourites to take the win in this leg at 7/10 with bet365 . Arsenal are priced at the more distant 15/4 while a draw is available at 10/3.
Match Preview
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With the chance of securing a return to the Champions League next season through a top four domestic finish, Arsenal still remain firmly in contention through its sister competition as they vie for glory in the Europa League.
Unai Emery's men could still qualify for the continental high table through this tournament if they were to see their grip slip in the Premier League, providing they can reach the final and lift the trophy in Baku.
Between them and a potential date with destiny in Azerbaijan, however, stands Napoli, who wil have designs of their own on picking up some major silverware this season.
A 2-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium a week ago has helped the Gunners on their way towards a berth in the semi-finals at the expense of their Serie A rivals - but at San Paolo Stadium, Arsenal will know that their hosts may present a very different challenge.
"We know it’s going to be a different match," Emery told his pre-match press briefing . "We are waiting for them and their best performance.
"We want to play this match not thinking about the first leg. We want to play thinking about winning, scoring [and] stopping them.
"We want to attack the space and respect the tactical structure. Insigne, Zielinski, Mertens; there are lots of players with [the] quality to push against us and give us problems.
When asked what his hosts must show in order to prevail and turn around a two-goal deficit, Ancelotti responded : "In three words? Courage, intelligence and passion."
"We will put all our passion into [Thursday] with a lot of intensity because it will be a great chance for us. Our mentality has to be positive. I am sure all the atmosphere will help us with passion.
"We are the only Italian team left in Europe and we want it to be the same on Friday. If this isn't the case it will only be because of the results and not because of our play. Napoli will play great. I think we can qualify."
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